This Albedo's Devotion
by Aros001
Summary: Albedo and Pandora's Actor meet to discuss their Secret Unit, tasked with finding the other Supreme Beings. Takes place between vols. 11 and 12 of the light novels.
1. Fetch Quest

**This Albedo's Devotion**

**Part 1: Fetch Quest**

The sudden click of heels against a stone floor echoed throughout the previously empty bathroom. There had been no movement of the door to signal the entrance of this woman's presence. She was just simply there. Thanks to the shining red ring on her finger that she fondled so lovingly, Albedo was one of the few within Nazarick who could do such a thing.

There were several bathing facilities within the Great Underground Tomb. However, with the exception of the 6th floor's recently developed village, known as the Green Hole, most of Nazarick's various levels wouldn't be described as livable, at least in the traditional sense. As such, all the baths were located here on the 9th floor, where the Supreme Beings' own rooms resided.

This bathroom in particular was fairly modest, boasting nothing in comparison to the floor's Spa Resort, which hosted a total of seventeen baths of nine types for both genders. That said, modest within Nazarick would still be eyepopping to anyone in the world outside. The bathtub was large enough to fit seventeen people as least fairly comfortably and the golden faucet, so devoid of rust or build-up, glittered heavenly in the dim light.

Sitting at the bottom of the stone tub and tucked away at a single end was a shallow pool of wetness, so blue one would think it to be unnatural. Which it would be, were it actually water.

"So, this is the infamous Miyoshi then?" Albedo commented, mostly to herself as it was her understanding that this particular breed of slime, unlike the likes of Solution, was not intelligent enough to comprehend speech beyond a few basic commands. "It's certainly smaller than I imagined."

Approaching the tub, Albedo reached out to the slime with her right hand. Her Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, which she wore on her left, was an incredibly high-quality item and would not be damaged easily, but it was still nothing she'd leave to chance. Its magical abilities were completely secondary to the more personal reasons she valued the ring so much and she'd never forgive herself if she allowed so much as a scratch to be made across its surface.

Miyoshi, like all slimes, did not "see" the world around it through any sense of sight. It was more akin to its body being able to detect motion and informing the creature where everything was from that. As such, though Albedo had already been well within Miyoshi's area of detection, it only now oozed itself up above the bathtub's walls, stretching up to the hand reaching for it, as it'd been trained to do.

As a Sapphire Slime, Miyoshi was said to be acidic enough to melt through flesh. But even as it inched its way across her forearm, Albedo showed neither fear nor pain. She had the highest defensive power among all the Guardians and even if she had the lowest there was still simply too vast a difference in levels for the creature to do any damage to her. Even her long silk gloves boasted deceptively high stats. The most Miyoshi could do was eat away at the dirt covering the garment, and it was an added touch of pride to the succubus's smile that there was no difference in the whiteness between the areas the slime passed over and those it'd yet to. There was no way the creature could make her clothes cleaner than she always kept them.

Albedo gripped her fingers around the area of slime that was in her hand. With its fluid body Miyoshi could easily slide right out of her hold but instead it immediately ceased its journey, halting at Albedo's elbow. It WAS exceptionally well trained. But then again, what else could she expect, given who it belonged to.

* * *

"_Lord Ainz… Is everything alright?"_

_After a moment of seeming like he'd been daydreaming, Ainz popped back to reality and looked up from where he sat._

"_Hm? I'm sorry, what did you say, Albedo?" He asked absentmindedly, his hands ruffling through the many papers that littered his desk_, _each one being a different suggestion or opinion written by the residents of Nazarick, all, by Ainz own request, submitted anonymously._

_In truth, Albedo saw little point in her master taking any ideas from anyone else but she had still been looking forward to this. This regular meeting schedule had become greatly muddled now that she had duties outside the Sorcerer Kingdom, with that noble-born moron Philip being the biggest reason she could not return to the city as often. It'd been far too long since she'd gotten to be alone with her beloved like this. But currently he seemed very distracted by something._

"_Forgive me if I interrupted your deep thoughts, my lord, but you seem very restless. You keep shifting in your chair." She told him, showing concern. "Is something making you uncomfortable?"_

_Ainz was quiet for a long moment, as though he was trying to decide whether or not to tell her. "It's nothing so serious. It's merely…hmm…how should I say it…? Well… Ever since my visit to the Dwarf Kingdom, I haven't been able to shake the feeling of dirt and dust clinging to my bones and between my joints. Obviously I've bathed and scrubbed myself since then but the plumbing in this city is not quite to the same quality as that within Nazarick, so I feel I haven't done as through a job."_

"_I'm not surprised." Albedo commented in a low voice. All those not created by the Supreme Beings were by fact inferior to those who were, and in her opinion there was no species whom embodied that truth more than humans. To compare the dwellings they built to those of the Supreme Beings' was not even laughable at best._

"_I have been tempted to take a [Gate] over to Nazarick, but Demiurge informed me that the Holy Kingdom's resistance force should be arriving any day now." Ainz explained himself. "For his plan to go off without a hitch, I need to make certain I'm here when they do."_

"_I am certain Demiurge would be more than willing to make any and all adjustments to his plan to have it suit you better, my lord."_

"_Of that, I have no doubt. However, with how long Demiurge has been tinkering away with his manipulations and after all the hard work he's put into them, if I were to deliberately throw any problems into it, I'd like to have a far better reason than that I felt my bones weren't clean enough."_

_He seemed very insistent in his decision and so Albedo did not argue against it. But again, it was a mentality she simply couldn't understand. Whatever reason he'd give for any inconvenience, no matter how small, would be more than enough of an explanation for any of them. Their master could delay the takeover of the Holy Kingdom by an entire decade simply by saying he didn't feel the weather was right for such a thing and they'd accept it. Though, given he himself possessed magic that could alter the weather on a whim, perhaps that wasn't the best example._

"_Besides," Ainz continued. "It is not as though I'm without ways to solve such a minor problem. If nothing else, I can simply send one of the maids to pick up my Miyoshi for me. He'd be able to give a very quick cleaning of my more troublesome areas and I wouldn't have to leave the city."_

_Ainz didn't notice but there was a small twitch in the corner of Albedo's lips when he'd said a certain word, though the feeling that sparked it was one she quickly suppressed and returned to her normal state._

"_I-! I could go get it for you!" She quickly and excitedly offered._

_Ainz seemed a little startled by her sudden outburst, having momentarily slid himself over to one side of his chair when it'd happened. "You would-…? No. No, I couldn't do that to you." Ainz shook his head as he relaxed back into his seat. "You are the Overseer of the Guardians and already preforming numerous invaluable tasks in the name of improving the Sorcerer Kingdom. Even if you did not already have so much on your plate, such a fetch-quest is beneath your station. I fear I'd be insulting you by asking you to do such a thing."_

"_Forgive me for possibly speaking out of turn, my lord, but when it comes to any task that directly aids you, we humble servants see it as more important than anything else in the world." Albedo said with such impassioned speech, not able to think of a single creature created by the Supreme Beings whom would disagree with her. "Besides, I have an errand I'll be running later in Nazarick, so I would be in the area anyway. And with my ring I'd be able to get around far easier than any maid. Sending me would be much more efficient."_

_Ainz was quiet for a moment, hand on his chin as he thought through her point._

"_Hm… Very well." He said, deciding her argument was valid. "Thank you for doing me this favor, Albedo. You have my gratitude."_

_Albedo clapped her hands together happy. "You honor me with such praise. Though I assure you it is unneeded. After all, such a thing as bringing my beloved an item he forgot on his way to work," Her cheeks pinkened with a blissful blush. "It is my wifely duty."_

_Ainz was struck completely silent, his jaw hanging open just slightly. Albedo could only assume it was in delight of her words._

* * *

"My Miyoshi. That's what he called you."

Albedo's grip tightened on the slime body.

Her primary means of dealing damage was with her bardiche, a cutting weapon which would do very little against the gelatinous form of a slime. However, slimes were not immune to blunt attacks, and while Sebas was by far her superior when it came to unarmed combat, Albedo had more than enough confidence in her physical strength that she was certain she would be able to kill such a weak creature in just a couple of hits of her fists.

"Our incredible master…so considerate of others. So worried about ever wasting their time." She went back and forth as to whether she was talking to Miyoshi or herself. "He uses you because he knows how long it takes to clean each of his bones by hand. He's too kind to burden anyone else with what he sees as an inconvenience.

"But-! But if he had only asked, I would have done it in a heartbeat, no matter how long it would have taken! No! The longer it would have taken, the more of a gift it would have felt like!"

Albedo's mind couldn't help but get lost in itself, imagining this very bathtub filled up to the brim with soap and water; her and her master seated in its center.

"_Ahhhh…" Ainz let out a long, pleasurable groan as she lathered and scrubbed his back. "After a day of hard work, nothing beats this."_

"_It is my absolute pleasure to do this for you." Albedo said, her bashfully bright face such a lovely pink color. She went back and forth between the scrubber and towel as needed, making her beloved's bones pearly white as her through cleaning left not a speck of dirt behind. She couldn't help but giggle like a schoolgirl as she felt she felt every little bump of his spine, taking care not to get any of the bristles caught between the vertebrae._

"_Though I can't help but notice you're brushing me with more than just the scrubber." Ainz said, commenting on the press of two generous mounds of flesh he kept feeling against his back. "It makes me want to return the favor."_

_Reaching behind him, Ainz grabbed Albedo's wrist and before she even knew what was happening he had pulled her down in front of him, on his knee just above the water._

"_I believe I'll start with the front." He said, the red lights that served as his eyes looking down at her like a predator would a prey, his large bone hands going directly for her chest._

"AHHHHH! LORD AINZ!" Albedo squeed, her arms flailing and her wings flapping like mad as she'd become momentarily lost in her fantasy. It was a wonder that Miyoshi did not get flung off and spattered across the wall.

Then, almost on a dime, her mood quickly changed as she glared back down at the creature.

"And I could perhaps have had all that, had it not been for you." She said coldly to the slime.

Miyoshi quivered and started moving restless on her arm, like it'd been able to sense her killing intent. If that was the case, then the creature perhaps was more intelligent than she'd given it credit for.

A hole in space itself appearing in front of her, Albedo slid the arm that held Miyoshi into it, disappearing elbow deep into it. When she pulled her arm back out, Miyoshi was gone, having been deposited in her own personal Item Box.

With a disappointed sigh, Albedo closed the hole back up. "You had nothing to fear. Regardless of my personal feelings, you are Lord Ainz's personal property. Bringing harm to you would be no different than burning his clothes or breaking one of his items."

She looked around again, making certain to double-check for any bits of the slime creature that might have been left behind in the tub.

"It should be secure enough for teleportation. So now I can…hm?"

Albedo paused herself, hearing a faint noise coming from outside the bathroom door. It was nothing violent but it certainly seemed to have some force behind it.

Curiosity taking hold of her, Albedo walked over and opened up the door.

"-not a single speck of mildew behind, understand?! The bathrooms of Nazarick should be so sparkling that you could walk through them barefoot and your feet themselves would become cleaner!"

"YEEEE!" The three manservants stretched their arms out in salute to the creature that just barely came up to their knees. They had mouths underneath their masks but they weren't much in the way of speech. Still, it seemed they understood their orders, given how proudly they held the mop buckets at their sides.

Albedo was tempted to chuckle to herself under her breath. Nazarick was the home of many unique individuals but there was no mistaking this little bird for anyone else.

Finally noticing that his subordinates were looking over at something besides just him, the assistant butler, Éclair Ecleir Eicler, turned his head to the door that now opened more widely.

"Ah! Overseer Albedo. My apologies. I didn't realize you were bathing at this time." He bowed his feathered head to her.

"No need to worry yourself, Eclair. I actually was only here to fetch something for Lord Ainz. I was just leaving."

"Oh?" He said, finding interest in his remark. "That's right. This is the bathroom the Supreme One often has as his choice to frequent, but he hasn't been around much lately."

"Lord Ainz is very busy. I'm certain you must have heard about the Baharuth Empire becoming a vassal nation to his Sorcerer Kingdom."

"But of course. It's all anyone in the Great Tomb has been talking about. And to accomplish such a feat in only a few days, it's something even I would be challenged to match."

If Albedo recalled correctly, Lord Ainz had one said Éclair resembled something called a Rockhopper Penguin. It was a species she was unfamiliar with and thus couldn't say how much of an example of his kind Éclair was. Given he also said Hamsuke resembled a Djungarian Hamster (albeit a giant one), she could only assume there were many strange creatures she'd never heard of that existed in the world the Supreme Being originally came from.

"However!" Éclair's eye glinted with determination, putting the spotlight back on himself. "Such an acquisition plays into my hands just as much as his own. I dare say that Lord Ainz himself as put me one step closer towards my destiny! My destiny of sitting upon the throne of Nazarick itself!"

There it was. That familiar itch in Albedo's fingers. One little motion and her bardiche would be summoned right into her hand, without even the need to open up her Item Box. She believed she once heard her creator refer to such an ability as a "hot key".

Her eyes glided across Éclair's fat little neck.

"_It would be so easy."_

Fortunately for Éclair, Albedo's smile was a mask that was not easily broken and thus he was allowed to remain oblivious to how close to the edge he was.

"I take it you'll be applying your usual method." She asked him, her kind voice so sweet it was like honey.

Éclair smirked. As much as his beak would allow him to anyway. "But of course."

Throwing his flipper up into the air, his nearest manservant followed his lead, quickly yanking a flip comb out of his breast pocket with a practiced hand and giving it over to the penguin. Twirling the comb around dramatically, Éclair ran its teeth through both tufts of hair atop his head onceover, flattening them out before they instantly returned to their normal curls.

"Cleaning has worked so masterfully for me so far! Why would I ever dare stop?!" He asked her with such conviction. "Is cleanliness not the very backbone of the world? I dare say that there is no one who can clean better than I can! These very bathrooms are proof enough of that. The empire is under our flag, and with the Dwarf Kingdom as our ally it is only a matter of time until it joins too. An entire mountain filled with dirt, coal, metals, and soot! My feathers are completely fluffed just imagining it all! Nazarick is one thing! Obviously the most important thing! But if I can keep such vassal nations clean along with it, then there will be no doubt the greatness of my abilities! Lord Ainz himself would have to name me ruler after that, and be able to freely retire in the sparkling paradise I created in his name."

Albedo gave a pleasing chuckle. "I commend your brilliance. I'm certain Ankoro Mocchi Mochi would be very proud."

"You honor me by saying such a thing." Éclair thanked her with a bow of his head. "I look forward to the day I have you as my subordinate. We will be an unstoppable duo!"

Behind her smiling closed lips, Albedo felt the harsh grid of her teeth again each other. "It would be quite the thing to see, wouldn't it?" She said, not even a crack appearing in her façade. "Well, I don't want to keep you from your duties. I'd best be on my way."

"Safe travels, Overseer Albedo." He saluted her off.

"Safe cleaning, assistant butler." Albedo gave a courteous bow to him, as was proper for one of her position, before finally taking her leave. She could have used her ring to instantly teleport, but at the moment, walking away was what was best. One foot in front of the other, deliberate focus on taking her away from the temptation.

Éclair's attention returned back to his manservants. Albedo could hear the splash of mops into buckets behind her and Éclair assigning roles.

She knew for a fact she was not the only one who disliked him. From the Floor Guardians to the Area Guardians to the Pleiades and all the way down to the Homunculus maids, there was no one who served Lord Ainz and didn't have some small urge to strangle Éclair for how he talked about someday taking the throne from him.

However, they all put up with it for the exact same reason. Because that's how his creator had made him to be. Lady Ankoro Mocchi Mochi herself had given Éclair the desire to conquer Nazarick and the genuine belief he could do so by cleaning. If it was something a Supreme Being had declared, what right did any of them have to question it?

Albedo resisted the impulse to put her fist through the wall.

"_It was not enough for them to abandon you. They had to leave something behind to mock your very position."_

Once she had turned the corner, the team of cleaners were out of sight and she could no longer hear them.

An idea coming to mind, Albedo held a hand up to her ear. "[Message]."

There was only a short delay between when the spell was cast and when she heard it to connect to the intended party.

["Hm? Yes?"]

"CZ Delta, this is Albedo." Albedo stated herself clearly. [Message] was a very useful spell but it still had its limitations. The combat maid could hear her voice but couldn't see her, and with the differences in pitch or tone the spell could cause depending on the distance, it was best to immediately identify yourself to avoid any confusion.

Albedo heard what sounded to be a straw sliding across the rim of a glass, CZ likely having been in the middle of enjoying one of those odd chocolate drinks of hers.

["How may I be of service to you, Lady Albedo?"] She asked. Though she always talked so simply and calm, to the point where it was hard to get a read on exactly what she was thinking at any given time, the lack of hesitation in CZ's voice as she spoke assured Albedo she would obey the words of her superior.

Albedo's smile grew just a touch more twisted. "Éclair and his manservants are cleaning the bathrooms on the east end of the 9th floor. For their safety, please patrol the area, in case of any intruders."

There was a small moment of silence on the other end of the call, but Albedo wasn't worried about it. CZ was an Automaton so it was doubtful her expression had changed much. Still, Albedo liked to imagine how big her eyes had gotten at that request.

["Understood. I will be there shortly."]

"Very good." Albedo said, ending the spell. Her smile felt much more genuine now.

She was wrong before. There was one person in Nazarick who liked Éclair, and that person was someone the assistant butler did everything in his power to stay away from.

Her mood feeling much more lifted now, Albedo activated her ring and teleported.

* * *

Where she reappeared she was surrounded on all sides by mounds upon mounds upon mounds of treasure. Staggering volumes of gold coins and jewels stretching up to a ceiling so high its limit could not be seen. If one were to look closely they might just be able to spot various items poking out through the stacks, some with effects that would make them far more valuable than the coins that consumed them. While at a first glance this giant room just seemed to be a chaotic mess, there in truth was an organizational structure in place and it was meticulously followed to the letter. There was simply no need to make it obvious to a thief where any of the REAL items of importance were hidden.

This was the Great Treasury of Nazarick and it could only be accessed by those whom wore a Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown. That she had one was physical proof of how much her master trusted her above so many others.

It was of no surprise to Albedo that she was not alone. However, it was to her amusement how quickly the other person turned his head at the click of the heels that announced her arrival. Clearly she had not been expected.

There was some irony that the person before her, so deep inside the Great Tomb, was someone most of Nazarick had never seen before yet so many common humans of E-Rantel and the Re-Estize Kingdom would recognize instantly. His jet-black armor and flowing red cape would make him stand out in any given crowd, but the fact that he was the one keeping them "safe" from monsters like her? Oh yes. The human made quite certain to remember the image of Momon of Darkness. Their hero, as Lord Ainz had so perfectly crafted him to be.

But it was not her beloved whom was under that helmet this time.

"It appears I've caught you just as you've returned," Albedo said to him.

At her words, Momon's armor discolored and softened, quickly resembling clay. It had never been true metal but rather just the flesh of a very unique member of his species. The flesh moved on its own and folded in on itself, rapidly molding its features into a new form. The man's true form.

A blank face with no distinct facial features, save the three protruding holes that acted as his eyes and mouth. The default appearance of all Doppelgängers, though his vibrant military uniform most certainly made an effort to make up for any of the face's blandness.

This man was the sole creation of Lord Ainz himself.

"Pandora's Actor." Albedo greeted him.

* * *

**Author's notes:** Another short _Overlord _story, only about four chapters long. Enjoy!

As an off-topic side note, if you like _Overlord _I highly recommend checking out the anime _Isekai Quartet_, in which the main cast of _Overlord_ crosses over with the main casts of three other Isekai shows, namely _KonoSuba_, _Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World_, and _The Saga of Tanya the Evil_. _Overlord_ was the only show I'd seen before watching _Isekai Quartet_ and I liked the other characters so much I decided to give the other shows a chance and ended up really enjoying them.

Admittedly, part of the reason I watched _Isekai Quartet_ was because I attempted to watch Goblin Slayer, a show I was recommend to watch since I liked _Overlord_. After one VERY horrific rape scene in the first episode, I dropped the show and was in desperate need of something else to get my mind off it. _Goblin Slayer_ doesn't seem like a bad show, it's just that particular level of darkness, maturity, and realism is not something I can enjoy watching. In all the animes I listed, the characters can be killed or tortured and go through some pretty traumatic stuff, but I'm never afraid of them getting raped. Even with Tuare, who was clearly raped multiple times at that brothel before Sebas saved her, we the audience were not made to watch or listen to it happen to her and her introduction is after all that stuff, so it's not like we were attached to the character and then had her go through that.

Anyway, back to _Isekai Quartet_, if you like Ainz, you'll really like the ending to episode 5. I'm saying nothing more than that.


	2. The Meeting

**Part 2: The Meeting**

Slapping the soles of his boots together, Pandora's Actor stood straight as steel to give his salute to her.

"Overseer Albedo! What an unexpected delight to have you grace the halls of my domain with your presence!"

A simple bow would have been more appropriate, given their respective ranks to each other, but Albedo let it go, knowing that this is simply how the Area Guardian of the Treasury was.

"My apologies for dropping in on you like this." She said, walking forwards towards him. "Both of our schedules have been rather erratic of late. As I had the opportunity, I figured I would come by for an impromptu meeting regarding the Unit."

"The Unit…?" Pandora's Actor asked, though he knew full well what she was referring to. Placing his hand across his chest, the Doppelgänger lowered his head. "I see…the Unit." He uttered, some deliberate drama in his hushed voice. "With such a goal in mind, it is clear why you did not risk using [Message]. Endlessly useful but easily intercepted. How amusing, that such a few words could risk exposing such a dwarfing secret." He glanced up at her from under his hat. "In truth, I had been hoping to use this time to polish and re-organize the treasury's items…"

His back then shot back up like a springboard.

"But no matter! I shall spare the moments! Come, dear madam!" He extended out his other hand to her. "Take a seat at my table, where only the voiceless medallions and jewels will be able to overhear the dark secrets we share."

One could hear a pin drop in the painfully long silence that followed, though Albedo seemed to be the only one between the two of them who was aware of it, as Pandora's Actor just kept his arm held out. She wasn't sure what noise it was that was tempting its way up her throat, but it was probably something akin to… "Uwah".

"Thank you. I shall." Albedo said, ignoring his hand entirely as she gestured for him to lead the way.

Taking no apparent offence at her refusal of his reach, Pandora's Actor turned and took them on a path through the mounds of treasure, towards a pair of comfortably plush black couches, a single small table between them.

"Will your little sister not be joining us again?"

Albedo shook her head. "No, I'm afraid Rubedo's position on the 8th floor takes more immediate priority over something as minor as this. She's more to be a final trump card than participate in basic footwork and fact-checking."

"I see. That is a shame." Pandora's Actor said, allowing Albedo to take her seat first before he sat down across from her. "I've only been able to meet her the once, at our first gathering. She was truly a sight to behold. As the Guardian of the Treasury, my collector's spirit cannot help but get excited whenever I encounter something unique, be it an item or being."

"I certainly hope you're not plotting to lock her up in one of these glass cases." Albedo said jestfully, though one might be able to detect just a drop of warning in her tone if they listened carefully enough.

"Perish the thought, my dear!" Pandora's Actor exclaimed, hand splayed across his chest. "While I'd hate to see such a beautiful flower ever be soiled, it would be the height of disrespect to pluck her from her natural habitat on my own. Now, if she were to volunteer and were Lord Ainz to give his permission…"

"That's good to hear." Albedo cut him off before he could go any further and risk upsetting her. Opening up her Item Box, she pulled out several folders. Each one varied in thickness with how many papers each held and the folder in particular she opened up on the table contained at least different maps of the same city. "Now then, when we last spoke, you told me humans still living in Sorcerer Kingdom had heard about an unusual slime creature roaming the sewer system back when the city was E-Rantel. One of black coloring. How has that situation developed?"

Pandora's Actor lowered his hat until it hid his face. "Alas, it was but a dead-end." He said sadly. "The people told Momon that the creature went into hiding after Lord Ainz's Death Knights began patrolling the streets. However, when I and Narberal Gamma descended into the system to check for ourselves, the black slime had turned out to be merely a cluster of Sanitary Slimes darkened by the dim light of the sewers. Upon investigation, they had been smuggled out of the Holy Kingdom some years ago and sold as bathroom attendants, for a rather high cost. They cleaned well enough but they had a tendency to…how should I say…fall in."

Internally, Albedo groaned, sharing his disappointment. While Lord Herohero wasn't the only Elder Black Ooze to exist in their previous world, it was still an incredibly rare species due to how high-tier it was, and one existing so close to civilization was suspicious.

"Well, one of the goals of this unit is to determine the accuracy of the reports we receive, so it's not a complete waste." Albedo said, sliding the file to the side, though still keeping it open as she went through another. "From what my talks with Princess Renner have led me to believe, slimes and undead can be something like pests in certain regions of the country, so I'm not surprised we keep getting so many false reports regarding sightings of Lady Bukubukuchagama or Soul Eaters. And then there's the simple ignorance of humans. We've had at least three different reported sightings of Nephilims, which later turned out to be merely uglier than average ogres, so very much not Lady Yamaiko."

"It is quite the puzzlement, isn't it?" Pandora's Actor commented. "Is no news better than false news? Odd as it may sound, I would perhaps have a preference for the former…"

Lifting her head up from the file on Bellriver, Albedo's ears perked at his uncharacteristic quietness. "Is something the matter?"

He was silent for only a few seconds longer, before standing up abruptly from his seat.

Pandora's Actor turned in back to her, his motion allowing his jacket to swing and flap behind him. It hadn't even been a few minutes since they'd sat down. "It is my admission… I do have a hope that we never find them. That the other Supreme Beings do not exist in this world at all."

"Oh? And why is that?" Albedo asked, unable to help but notice a very familiar 'One-Yen' sticker attached to the back of his hat. CZ Delta was known to attach those stickers to things that she liked, but outside of when they and Yuri had first met the Doppelgänger, Albedo couldn't think of any time when the two would have interacted, and even then he hadn't made a very favorable first impression.

"Heh. You of all people to ask me that?" Pandora's Actor gave a false chuckle, looking up towards the endless ceiling. "We have never talked about it aloud. Perhaps because you felt it didn't need to be said to be understood, or perhaps you wanted to see if I could ever figure it out for myself. If it is the latter, then maybe you felt I would get in your way?"

He spun back to Albedo dramatically, pointing his long, slender finger to her face in accusation.

"I could have overlooked the two of us. Even overlooked the fifteen monsters you had the Supreme One summon forth to aid us, despite none of them having the ability to blend into society. But her! Rubedo! The strongest of us all! Perhaps even strongest of _them_ all, as blasphemous as it may be to say…and the fact that she is meant to serve this task ONLY in terms of combat, as you just confirmed…! If the others within Nazarick knew of our existence, these meetings, even they would have come to the same conclusion." Pandora's Actor shook his head. "This is no search unit. It is a hit squad."

The expression across Albedo's face did not falter in the slightest. That alone told Pandora's Actor she'd been expecting him to eventually figure this out.

"You're intelligent enough to realize the importance of keeping the balancing order here at Nazarick." She said, unfazed by the accusation. "Despite its size and the sheer number of servants, everything runs smoothly for one simple reason: it is all dedicated to Lord Ainz. His orders and his vision are the one single direction in which everyone works towards. He is the single highest undisputed power and thus we obey with no hesitation or question. Now tell me, what would be the most likely to happen should another Supreme Being enter the picture?"

Pandora's Actor placed his hand up to his chin, very much like how Lord Ainz did whenever he was deeply pondering something, Albedo noticed. "HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM… As the one whom was named the leader of the guild Ainz Ooal Gown, it could be assumed that Lord Ainz's orders would take immediate priority. However, it is also true that no one would dare refuse an order from any of the Supreme Beings. The servants of Nazarick would be placed into a situation of carrying out all orders from both Supreme Beings and possibly be placed in a situation where they either risk failing both tasks or are forced to choose which orders to follow from who, depending on how much the orders conflict. Save for in the case where the Supreme Being is that servant's creator, where then it is a practical guarantee they'll carry out those orders over Lord Ainz's." He spouted off his theories very thoughtfully.

Impressed by his quick deduction, Albedo nodded. "That's correct. And the problem only compounds the more Supreme Beings enter the picture." She explained as Pandora's Actor retook his seat. "At best, all the orders coming from different directions will pull enough of the servants in those directions over time until Lord Ainz's rule and Nazarick's power collapse, no long enough of a sturdy base to keep the top supported. And at worse, Lord Ainz's authority will be directly challenged."

"Challenged?"

"Like you pointed out, Lord Ainz was appointed leader by the other Supreme Beings unanimously. However, this new world and Nazarick's situation are far different than they were in our old world. Suppose another Supreme Being wishes Lord Ainz's throne for his own, or perhaps multiple Supreme Beings dislike the way Lord Ainz runs things. Nazarick will tear itself apart from the ensuing power struggle. If, say, Éclair" She growled the name as she said it. "were to declare a revolt against Lord Ainz, the other servants would kill him on the spot without a second thought. But if a Supreme Being were to do that, many would hesitate to ever do something as blasphemous as lifting a hand against them and many more would be forced to choose a side, lest they fail completely in their duties. After all, while it'd be like tearing off their own arm, it's better to fail to serve one Supreme Being than failing to serve two of them."

"Hmm…that is true, though still not particularly favorable." Pandora's Actor remarked, crossing his arms and shaking his head in sympathy for any servant whom would ever have to struggle between two masters whom were not their creator, a difficulty he thankfully did not have to face. "So, this secret unit is to serve in keeping any such problems away from Lord Ainz's reign? By taking out any of the _competition_ before they even have a chance of getting to Nazarick?"

"Correct again, and you in particular serve a very important role." Albedo told him. "As I said, Rubedo is the trump card, but you are the ace. Lord Ainz created you to have all of the forty-one Supreme Beings as forms you could take, did he not? May I assume it's a through transformation?"

Where Pandora's Actor's eyes should be were just empty sockets. Still, Albedo could have sworn she saw a prideful glint in that blackness.

Shooting up (again) from his couch like it was on fire, Pandora's Actor slammed a single foot down on the table, elevating his leg as he leaned forward. "But of course, madam! Lord Ainz crafted me to be the greatest actor in the world! In any world! Even the gods themselves are not outside my ability! To imitate their STYLE!" He pulled open his jacket. "Their manner of SPEECH!" He threw his head and hand to the ceiling. "The very AURA they CAST with their very PRESENCE!" He held his arms out wide, like he was trying to bask in an unseen sun.

Finally, he stepped off the table, hand across his chest as he gave a saddened bow.

"Unfortunately, when it comes to using the abilities and skills of those great beings, I can only do so up to 80% of the original's potency, and without the aid of a specific item I cannot even use the same Super-Tier magic of which they were capable. Such a Tower of Babel my existence is."

"But you do still know the spells and skills they can use, correct?" Albedo pointed out, getting Pandora's Actor to raise his head back up in curiosity. "I'm under no delusion that the Supreme Beings will be easy to defeat. It's my understanding that Lord Ainz himself has lost in duels against the likes of Lord Touch Me and Lord Ulbert Alain Odle. However, in his battle with Shalltear, an opponent he held a severe disadvantage against in terms of power and build, Lord Ainz showed the value of tactics and equipment and pulled off an overwhelming victory."

Her point becoming clearer to him, Pandora's Actor sat back down, staying quiet for now to allow her to keep talking.

"With your abilities, we can plan strategies around their most likely movements; know what would work as the best counters and what tactics to avoid." Albedo said, hand on her chin as her eyes glided over each of the files on the table, thinking about how she would handle any given one of them they could discover. "As for the second point, we hold all of the Supreme Beings' original equipment here in the Mausoleum, save for a few members like Lord Herohero. While it's certainly possible they would have picked up new equipment since then, with the exception of World Items we've yet to see anything in this New World that compares to the items of Nazarick. Lord Touch Me was a World Champion class warrior, so even armed with a wooden sword he'd be an incredibly powerful foe, but still less so than if he was equipped with his true armor and blade."

With a short chuckle, Albedo looked back up at her adjutant.

"Obviously, neither of these factors guarantee our victory but they do stack more odds in our favor. And when going up against those like the Supreme Beings, we would need every advantage we can get."

"And thus the third factor, and the reason this unit is kept a secret." Pandora's Actor spoke.

Albedo's eyes widened by a fraction of an inch. She had heard the man before her was a rival to Demiurge and herself in terms of intelligence and it appeared that was correct. From the way he spoke, this wasn't something he'd just thought of, but rather he'd come to this conclusion a while ago. She couldn't help but wonder if the reason Lord Ainz had created him to be so over-the-top and cringey was so he would be so consistently underestimated. If that was the case, then her beloved was even more of a nefarious strategist than she'd realized.

"Yes, that is correct." Albedo nodded her head, seeing no reason to hide it. "Despite their power, I do believe that were this unit to do battle with any given one of the Supreme Beings, the odds of victory would be in our favor. However, should any of the other members of Nazarick join in the fight against us, our chances drop astronomically. Would Sebas not rush to the aid of Lord Touch Me? Cocytus for Lord Warrior Takemikazuchi? Shalltear with Lord Peroroncino? It is something I actually discussed with Lord Ainz when I asked for permission to form this unit. Loyal as they may be, any one of the Guardians could go running to find their creator if they hear there is even a chance they're alive in this world with us. That's another reason Lord Ainz actually recommended you for this unit."

At those words, Pandora's Actor's body trembled and he placed his hand over his heart (though Albedo was not entirely certain if Doppelgängers even had hearts). "Ohhhhh… To hear that my creator has such faith in my loyalty to him… This servant's chest may just burst open with emotion!"

Albedo felt emotion of a different sort boiling in her chest as she watched him swoon over Lord Ainz's apparent love for him, but she pushed it down. "I had a feeling you'd like that."

While he would have loved to continue basking in the mental image he had of his master, Pandora's Actor quickly shook himself back to his previous mood. "There was never any doubt that Lord Ainz gave his permission for you to form this unit. But while I would never presume to fully understand my creator's intentions all on my own, I have many doubts that Lord Ainz would sign off on what is essentially a death warrant for his old comrades. If he believes this squad's purpose is anything other than a task force to hunt down the other Supreme Beings, then that would mean you sold the idea of this squad to him as something other than what it is. If that is indeed the case, then that means…" He glared at her from under his hat. "…you lied to him."

Albedo was quiet only for a moment, and what she said next she said with a completely straight face.

"Yes. Yes, I did."

No hesitation. No remorse. She admitted it so easily.

The air between the two NPCs became stiff and tense. Like the gravity of what'd just been said was weighing down everything in the room, forcing both to stay seated where they were. They waited for…and were almost daring…the other to make the first move.

Finally, it was Pandora's Actor who pushed through the silence.

"To disobey the Supreme One's orders is one of the ultimate acts of betrayal. To lie directly to his face can be seen as even worse. We who serve them never even speak of such a possibility simply because it is so unthinkable." He looked her dead in the eye. "I have in my possession a Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown as well. Were I to use it, do you think you'd be able to stop me before I got to Lord Ainz's side?"

Such an incredible poker face. As a shapeshifter, Pandora's Actor had to admire it. He observed not a single flinch in Albedo's expression, nor any faulter in her smile.

"The fact that you haven't done so already means you're curious about my reasons." Albedo commented with simple confidence.

Halfheartedly, Pandora's Actor gave a chuckle. "As I said, I have an interest in unique things." He tipped his hat to her. "Someone created by a Supreme Being, yet whom seeks to kill them all, save for the one she's deceiving. What could be more unique?"

"It's not as though I'm doing all this just for fun." She retorted, still with that mask of a calm smile on her face.

"Then why are you doing this?" He asked her, making a show of it as he thrummed his fingers thoughtfully along his chin.

Albedo gave a short, quiet laugh, like the man across from her had just asked her the most pointless question in the world. "Isn't it natural for a woman to want to protect the man she loves?"

"Everyone within Nazarick loves Lord Ainz."

"Not like I do." She stated, such confidence in her words, lacking even a single drop of doubt that the reality could be otherwise. "Lord Ainz himself is the cause of my feelings. He altered my…settings, I believe he called it. I don't quite understand it myself but he explained to me that the love I feel for him is the result of him changing something about myself Lord Tabula originally gave me. Essentially Lord Ainz ordered me to fall in love with him."

Pandora's Actor was stunned to his core. This was the first he'd ever heard of his creator doing something like this. _"My master altered the creation of one of the other Supreme Beings?! That doesn't sound like him, but she doesn't appear to be lying. And she said that this is what he told her, meaning it's a fact that'd be very easy to verify the truth of just by asking him. So the odds that it is true are very high. So curious. He must have had a reason for doing so. I wonder what it could be?"_

"Suffice to say, my feelings for Lord Ainz are true." Albedo continued, with a bit of smugness in her tone. "They are as much a part of my being as everything Lord Tabula created within me."

"Yes, yes. That argument is sound. I cannot find a fault in it." Pandora's Actor nodded his head rapidly. Were he anyone else people might think he was being sarcastic but that was far from his nature. While he was surprised his creator would do such a thing, if he did do it then it was so. This Albedo woman before him was truly in love with Lord Ainz.

However, just because he believed her didn't mean he would avoid asking the next most obvious question.

"But if you love Lord Ainz, why are you seeking to lie to him?"

From the look in her eye Albedo had been expecting such a question. Though Pandora's Actor did notice her smile lessened somewhat before answering him.

"I take it you recall the invasion of Nazarick by the workers?" She asked.

"Of course. It was the first time I was assigned the role of Momon. Oh, to play a role that my creator had! It was a performance I made certain I carried out to perfection."

"So I've heard. However, it was because of your station outside of Nazarick that you didn't see what happened." Albedo pointed out, Pandora's Actor noticing her curling fingers making her glove go tight. "Lord Ainz himself did battle with a team of workers in the amphitheater on the 6th floor. Foresight, I believed they called themselves, ironically."

Pandora's Actor's back stiffened up sharply. "My lord was not hurt, was he?!" He asked with worry.

"Of course not, fool!" Albedo snapped at him, letting her anger show through just for that moment for him ever daring to think such a thing. "He even fought them with a deliberate handicap and they still couldn't leave a scratch on him."

Surprised by her sudden harsh tone, Pandora's Actor covered his face in shame. "Forgive me. It was not my desire to insult my lord. Merely that if any harm was brought to him and I was not there to prevent it, I do not believe I could ever forgive myself."

Slowly, Albedo did settle back down, allowing herself to rest further into her couch again. "I suppose I do understand how you feel. And while he suffered no physical injury, those lowlife humans did pick at an old wound that Lord Ainz has yet to recover from."

When Pandora's Actor looked back up at her, she clarified. "The leader of that worker team told Lord Ainz a lie that they'd been granted permission to come to Nazarick, leaving his words just vague enough to imply it could have been one of the other Supreme Beings. Naturally Lord Ainz saw through the deception but the fury he showed at being lied to… I felt the entire stadium shake… And I finally saw the wound I had long suspected to exist, so much worse than I ever had dared believe it was." Her lips parted slightly. Just enough for one side of her face to bear its teeth. "A wound inflicted by those other Supreme Being pieces of trash…"

At her words, Pandora's Actor fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. For someone usually so bombastic, it was a surprisingly subtle gesture from the man. "You should not say such things…" He muttered to her quietly, as if he were afraid Albedo's remark had placed them both under the watch of unseen eyes.

Ignoring his clear discomfort, Albedo went on. "When Lord Ainz went off to battle Shalltear, Demiurge was the one who scolded me the most for letting him go. He argued that when we know the Supreme One's life is in danger, it is our duty to eliminate that danger, even if it might mean going against his wishes. In the matter concerning Shalltear, I disagreed with such a statement, as Lord Ainz's eyes brimmed with such conviction that he would win that I, as a woman, could not dare bring myself to stand in his way."

Her arms held her body as she said those words, her cheeks becoming rosy as she was almost swooning over the memory. The perverse look on the succubus' face did make Pandora's Actor slightly concerned for the couch cushion she sat on and whether it might need to be cleaned after this meeting was over.

Having her own moment of basking in the mental image of her master, Albedo snapped back to reality and awkwardly cleared her throat. "However, in this matter, I do find Demiurge to be correct. And before I am accused of being a hypocrite or picking and choosing what suits me best at any given moment, this still very much has to do with Lord Ainz's convictions. In this case, I do believe that the other Supreme Beings serve as a far greater weakness to him. Greater than even the Holy element."

"The others are strong, but it is not as if Lord Ainz is without strength and followers of his own." Pandora's Actor remarked.

Albedo shook her head in slight frustration. He was missing the point.

"When that man from Foresight had claimed they'd been given permission to be here, Lord Ainz was willing to let them go if they were telling the truth." She explained. "Can you take a second to really think about if it was true? Another Supreme Being sending thieves into Nazarick, with no word of warning or communication, so that they may steal from it and possibly kill its residents. Those actual responsible, the Baharuth Empire, have been appropriately punished for their arrogance, being made into a vassal nation under the Sorcerer Kingdom and the emperor living in constant fear of his own demise. All according to Lord Ainz and Demiurge's plan. However, if a Supreme Being had been involved, what they did would have been worse than another nation trespassing. It would have been an outright betrayal of both the Supreme One and Nazarick. And yet…Lord Ainz would have let it go if it was true it involved them."

It could only be seen in her eyes and the very edges of her lips, but it was there. That swirling mix of sadness and fury. If he had been anyone else then he perhaps might not have noticed such subtle features. Still though, Pandora's Actor was not yet convinced.

"I doubt it is intentional but I do feel you may be underestimating Lord Ainz's intelligence." He said, getting a deeply penetrating glare from Albedo for his comment. "As you said, he clearly saw through the lie, so this all may be a completely moot point, but before he confirmed it, perhaps Lord Ainz believed there was a greater stratagem at work and he sought to uncover it? There can be no doubt that he is the most brilliant of all the Supreme Beings!" He declared upwards to the ceiling with his head and hand. "But surely Lord Ainz would believe the plots of his old comrades would still have weight. If he believed there was even a chance they'd try and harm Nazarick, surely he would not have risked it."

Again, he could see it in her eyes. Like he with her, Albedo was not convinced.

"Back before we learned that Shalltear was brainwashed and we'd thought she'd turned against us, Lord Ainz hesitated to bring the wrath of Nazarick down upon her because he was worried such a betrayal was in the settings Lord Peroroncino can created for her. Same with Pestonya and Nigredo when they tried to free the prisoners we captured during the raid on Re-Estize. They defied his direct orders and he punished them only minorly, again because he believed they were only doing as they were created to."

"I can see what you are attempting to imply." Pandora's Actor said before she could go on any further. "That our master's feelings regarding the other Supreme Beings keep being exploited. That he is willing to allow himself to be stabbed in the back so long as the knife came from them."

"I have seen how the other Supreme Beings leaving has affected Lord Ainz more times than I can ignore." Albedo stated. "He has so many wonderful qualities. Too many to count, and one of his biggest is his generosity. He was the only one kind enough to stay with us when everyone else had left. He offers us constant comfort to ease the loss of our creators. But in that kindness, he pushed away all attention from himself. He hides it but it's clear he feels the loss of the other Supreme Beings most of all."

"And yet, this unit seeks to keep them away." He pointed out. "The only ones who might be able to heal his wound."

"You don't get it! They're the ones who caused the wound!" Albedo snapped at him. "They abandoned him! They abandoned all of us! Left us behind without a second thought!"

"Lord Ainz assured us they had their reasons."

"What reasons could possibly justify that?!" She screamed at him. "You haven't seen him like I have! Almost every day in the throne room, looking up in longing at their flags, always reminded about those who went away and never came back! Choosing to go off and battle Shalltear on his own because he had to prove to himself he was a competent leader as he stood before me in the Mausoleum, like all those statues bearing their images were judging his very worth!" Her teeth were grinding against each other, nearly forming a snarl, and her nails through her gloves seemed almost to more resemble claws at this moment.

"Lady Overseer, please, calm-"

"You're his creation!" Albedo shrieked at him. "Don't you even care that they took his name from him?!"

Her question struck him completely silent. His master's name…the one replaced by the name of the guild.

His master replaced his own legacy with theirs just to have a chance of reaching out to them.

"_This goes beyond just anger."_ He thought to himself, watching how the woman's lip quivered in rage. Were it not for her high defensive stats, her biting teeth might have caused it to start bleeding already. He could see his own reflection in her burning eyes._ "She hates them."_

The crimson-jeweled ring was right there on his finger. He could leave in an instant, before she'd even have time to react in her state. It was his duty to tell his master what she was going to do. To tell everyone.

And yet…he still didn't move. That final question was still ringing in his ears.

"_But…can I truly say I feel so different?"_


	3. Conviction

**Part 3: Conviction**

"_There. That should…"_

_Momonga looked back and forth between Pandora's Actor and the Avatara sculpture he'd just equipped the beak-shaped mask to, something perfect to fit over the face of a birdman._

"…_look better than it does." He sighed. "Even after I bought that external appearance data, they don't look that much better than how I drew them. I still can't believe I can't just take an image from the game itself and impose it over the golem. Those shitty devs really can't make anything easy for us, can they?"_

_Despite his complaining, Momonga continued to click away on his menu, equipping Houyi's Bow into the Avatara's hand and rotating both to try and cover up some of the messier parts of the design._

"_Well…that helped a little." He commented, turning back to Pandora's Actor, the Doppelgänger currently in the form of one of the first players Momonga had become friends with after Nine's Own Goal started expanding outside of its original members. The guild's archery marksman and expert of eroge: Peroroncino._

"_He'd probably scold me for paying for features to try and fix up these statues. But then I could just point out that he bought that golden motes character effect for his avatar. As long as it's just for appearance and not actually stats, it doesn't break our No Cash Item Alliance, right?"_

_Not that he would have expected anything else but Momonga still felt some pain in his chest when Pandora's Actor did not answer him back._

"_You're right. Who am I kidding? Once we started we couldn't stop." He continued talking to keep himself distracted. "I've got an entire inventory full of cash items to prove my guilt._ _Peroroncino and Ulbert's too. We all had a big laugh when they gave their items to me. They said I could practically open my own Cash Item shop with the collection I've got now."_

_Momonga laughed but it was hollow. Despite his friends' insistences, he'd yet to sell a single one of their old items. In fact, a big reason for why he'd actually spent the money on these Avataras was so he could put their old items somewhere other than his Item Box, where he'd never be tempted to sell them off. What he added to the misshapen golem before him had been Peroroncino's actual equipment, that his friend had spent so long on and gathered so many data crystals into to make just right. All the materials most certainly had a defined price but what amount of money could equal a gamer's dedication?_

"_Follow me." He gave the simple verbal command and Pandora's Actor obeyed it, walking behind Momonga as they moved down a row._

_When they stopped, Momonga accessed his creation's controls and input the proper commands to have him transform again, this time into Touch Me. His Avatatra did actually look better than Peroroncino's, but that was mostly due to it being more covered up by his old armor, and even then it still looked pretty clownish compared to the real thing. The identical white armor Pandora's Actor wore was just for show, pulling from a saved file, but that thankfully didn't impair his use as a good reference point._

"_Hmm… Tabula was always more of the lore master but I think I could maybe make up some kind of story justification for why the golems are so warped." Momonga said, unable to resist the urge to have a thoughtful emoticon pop up, just to poke fun at himself. "Like maybe the members of Ainz Ooal Gown infused their rage for anyone who'd dare steal from us into these statues before they left, that way some aspect of them would always be there to protect Nazarick. …Nah, that's lame."_

_Putting that matter aside for now, the two continued down the line, Momonga having Pandora's Actor change form each time so he could see how well they matched up. Unsurprisingly, none of them were without the uncanny, stretched features, though the worst of the lot was not really the fault of anyone in particular. In contrast to Touch Me's Avatara, Bukubukuchagama's was almost completely unrecognizable. That's because slimes, as a neat little racial quirk, wore their equipment inside their bodies. The golems, however, did not share that same trait, so what had been perfectly arranged and even stylish for his old guildmate just looked like a random mess slapped onto a big lumpy sphere._

"_Herohero hasn't quit the game yet…though it's been a while since he last logged on. I wonder if he'd have any ideas on how to work around that? Hopefully he wouldn't be worried I'm trying to rush to put a statue of him in here! Hahaha…! Heh.."_

_After around ten more minutes, it was when he'd finished overlooking Tabula Smaragdina's likeness that Momonga finally gave a pause before he chose Pandora's Actor's next appearance._

"_Shit. I've already used up most of your daily allowed transformations. While it's unlikely we'll get an attack that'd reach this deep into Nazarick, I probably should leave you with a few options open just in case. Besides…this is probably looking pretty sad, isn't it?"_

_Once again, Pandora's Actor did not respond to him, such a question being one that was not recognized by the servers._

_His fingers hovering over the commands for far too long, Momonga finally forced himself to tap the final key, prompting Tabula's image to melt away and be replaced by the military clad Doppelgänger._

_Despite that action, Momonga still stood where he was, looking around at what very much felt like a mausoleum to him._

_Looking back down at Pandora's Actor, he said "Salute."_

_Obeying the order, Pandora's Actor slapped the soles of his boots together and raised his hand seamlessly up to his hat, in proper form to his many superior officers._

"_Heh. That never gets old." Momonga chuckled to himself quietly. "I know I wrote it into your settings that you like sorting data crystals and items but I still feel kind of bad I'm always keeping you locked down here in the Treasury. Maybe I could have you fight alongside Shalltear on the 1__st__ floor for a bit, just to show you off._

"_But…"_

_Momonga shook his head, casting off that idea._

"_You have forty-five forms you can take thanks to your forty-five racial levels in the Doppelgänger class. If you did get killed and revived, you'd lose some of those levels and likely those forms too. I don't know how the server would decide which to get rid of as the penalty. Maybe the last you gained? Or maybe some of the first? Either way, with everyone gone…" He once more found himself seeing past Pandora's Actor and his eyes consumed by everything else in the room. "We might not be able to get those forms back…"_

_There he stood for several minutes longer, just looking at the statues. Eventually he raised his hand up to wipe the area underneath his eye sockets, though it was not the skeleton's face that had anything running down it._

"_Return to post." Momonga ordered offhandedly as he turned around and walked towards the exit, though it was nonetheless obeyed. Pandora's Actor seemed like he was following behind his creator but his preset path simply led in the same direction. Momonga had left his ring behind where he'd teleported in, as he'd programmed the Avataras to attack anyone entering the Mausoleum while wearing a Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown; a safety feature in case one of the many rings now in his possession should happen to be stolen._

_Within a minute and he'd have his again. Once he teleported away, that would be the last Momonga and Pandora's Actor would see each other until the next time Nazarick's upkeep costs needed to be paid._

* * *

Pandora's Actor still remembered it. That emptiness in his creator's voice. The way he looked at those statues with such sadness in his eyes.

He looked down at the palm of his open hand. _"Do I too not feel some urge, however small, to strike back at the ones whom put my father in such a state?"_

He turned his head back up to Albedo. His mind was not yet made up over what to do. He knew what was expected of him, and thus why it was dangerous to let this conversation carry on any further, lest he be convinced of the wrong side.

Still…he went forward, praying to his creator that his actions were simply a part of how he'd been made.

"You do care very much about Lord Ainz. However, that being the case, then surely you've noticed it too." Pandora's Actor said to Albedo. "He is unhappy, and everything you've told me fill in the pieces for why."

Albedo's rage from before had quieted somewhat. It was still there, she'd simply regained enough of her composure to let it simmer underneath, allowing her to calm enough to listen.

"He is surrounded on all sides by servants and followers, but not a single equal. Gone are the days where there were forty others just like him, and we by our very existence admit we are nothing compared to the Supreme Beings. Though we can speak it is only to say yes. Though we can move it is only to act as his arms. Though there exist so many in this world, our master feels so truly alone. Perhaps is that not why he could be so lenient with any missteps from his old comrades? Be it with him or against him, Lord Ainz would at least someone he may speak frank with and be spoken to as such in return."

He gently gestured out his hand at her, pointing but not with any malice.

"Should you go through with this plan, you may be snuffing out our lord's last chance to be happy again. And you are smart enough to realize that, which means you are choosing to ignore it."

Her glare cut into him again. Despite his soft tone, she clearly didn't appreciate any sort of suggestion that she was trying to make her master miserable.

"I'm not ignoring anything. I simply just don't see the world in terms of equals." Albedo stated evenly. "Everything has its place. Everyone can be described in terms of superior or inferior. Even the Supreme Beings themselves acknowledged that fact when they named Lord Ainz as their leader. I'm sure you'll find such a statement arrogant but, just as I understand the importance of my position as the Guardian Overseer, you must understand the importance of your position as the Guardian of the Treasury, yes? Can you afford to be anything less than the perfect candidate for that job?"

Pandora's Actor nearly spoke up but soon found himself holding his silence. Whatever urge there was to argue faded quick, as he did have to acknowledge her point.

"But let's say that you are correct about the world running in terms of equals, at least where the Supreme Beings are concerned." She continued. "Then that only serves to make me angrier over what they did to him. If he was their comrade who they left behind, then they are bigger pieces of trash than those workers. He needed them and they still went away. And now, we are just supposed to welcome them back with open arms? Even if Lord Ainz views them as his equals, they've shown clearly that they do not. They walked out on him once. What is to prevent them from doing it again? If it was only us I could live with it, but to use him up and toss him aside…" She trailed off only slightly, taking the time to reign her growing resentment back in. "…I cannot. I. Will. Not. Forgive them for that."

She waited for Pandora's Actor to say anything more. After a minute, it was clear he didn't have any further response.

With that, Albedo stood up from her seat, and in response Pandora's Actor did the same, taking a step to his side to block her path.

Not intimidated, she held her gentle smile and said "I'll need your immediate answer. This is too important to leave any variable uncertain. So, Pandora's Actor, will you stand with me," A simple twitch of her fingers and Albedo's bardiche appeared into her hand. "Or against me?"

Though she watched him so intently for any sign of movement, she still had difficultly reading his face. She imagined this was how Demiurge felt with her sometimes. Whatever he was thinking, it was unknown to her, and that only made her grip her weapon even tighter.

"…For one whom wishes to kill the other Supreme Beings, I suppose it is no surprise you would be willing to cut down their creations as well, should they stand in your way. And you of all people would have access to the resources needed to cover up your crime, at least for a while." Pandora's Actor remarked to her. "Once you start down this path, you will see it through to the end, no matter what? No matter who?"

"Yes." Albedo answered. Once again, no hesitation. No remorse.

At those words, Pandora's Actor transformed.

The instant she saw movement, Albedo attacked, aided in her launch forward by the thrust of her wings.

However, just before her blade would have made contact with her opponent's head, she stopped her own swing, her eyes going wide as could be.

"How about this one?" Pandora's Actor asked her, in a voice not his own but one they both knew more than any other. "You are prepared to fight Supreme Beings and Guardians alike, but with the path you're on, this is the form most likely to stand in your way." He said, gesturing to himself with a skeletal hand.

Albedo's trembling bardiche was held frozen in the air for several long seconds. Pandora's Actor had no barrier around his body to protect himself and yet he might as well have, with how much her hands refused to go forward those extra few centimeters.

"_You bastard!"_ Albedo's thoughts swore at him as she finally pulled her weapon away and stepped back to a safer distance. Her hands couldn't stop shaking.

Pandora's Actor had the ability to transform into all of the forty-one Supreme Beings. That included Lord Ainz himself, whose image glared down upon her now.

"You claim that you're doing this out of love, and perhaps you are." He said, not a trace of the Doppelgänger's typical mannerisms in his speech to break the performance. "However, what you seek to do, should the Supreme One ever find out about it, not only is there an overwhelming likelihood that he will not return your love, there is also a good chance he will hate you for what you've taken from him. In that event, when all hope of him ever returning those feelings you so desperately crave is crushed forever, what is to prevent you from turning your weapon against Lord Ainz as well, when you have nothing to gain by serving him any longer?"

Those eyes. Albedo knew full well what they were. Just the trick of a racial ability. But that glare…they felt like they could almost truly be his, looking at her in judgment through the body of his servant.

She had pulled back but her weapon was still out. How long would it take for her to snap out of the shock of his transformation and attack again? Pandora's Actor thought through his strategy quickly. [Time Stop] would present the best overall advantage given the situation, but if his opponent had any way of negating Time magic then the wasted time casting that spell would leave him wide open. As such, his next best option was [Body of Effulgent Beryl]. He'd be able to eat a hit with no penalty and make his escape using his ring. Warning Lord Ainz was the main objective, not winning this fight.

But then, to Pandora's Actor's surprise, Albedo let out a long breath. One of acceptance.

"You are Lord Ainz's creation. Do you share the same love of the night sky?"

The Doppelgänger cocked his head, confused by the odd question he'd just been asked.

Albedo tilted her head up towards the ceiling, looking dreamily so far past it to something beyond these walls. "When you look up towards it, in awe of its splendor, of the million stars in its hold, of the rivers of nebulas that stretch on beyond the horizon, do you expect the sky to love you back?" She asked him. "You're right. There's nothing I want more. I want more than anything for the sky I see to come down to earth and envelop me. To take me up into his embrace and declare me as his, no one else's. It's the most romantic thing I can think of…and it's also not what the sky does."

She smiled as she looked back down to Pandora's Actor. "I have already made my peace with it." She said, banishing her bardiche back to her Item Box. "When the time comes, I will accept whatever punishment Lord Ainz decides upon me. He could have me killed, thrown to Neuronist's and Kyouhukou's torments, or even forbid me to ever step foot in his sight again. Whatever the case, his is the one form I will not raise up my weapon against."

She stayed standing where she was, leaving herself wide open. Very clear to Pandora's Actor, she was waiting for him to strike her down.

After a minute of making his final decision, the shapeshifter reverted back to his true form.

Once his face and clothes had returned to normal, Pandora's Actor extended out his hand, to Albedo's slight surprise.

"I am loyal to my creator, Lord Ainz, above all others. Now…if nothing else…I can believe the same applies to you." He tipped his hat to her with his other hand. "If you are to be condemned, then you will at least have a fellow sinner burning alongside you."

Her eyes were still slightly wide but soon they soothed themselves, replaced by determination as she reached forward, their hands taking the other's arm for an unspoken oath.

"You have my gratitude." Albedo thanked him.

Pandora's Actor gave her a simple nod.

…Right before his face shot up towards the ceiling, hand over his heart.

"WENN ES MEINES GOTTES WILLE IST!"

Albedo nearly stumbled backwards from the sudden declaration and the only reason she didn't was because Pandora's Actor still had a hold on her arm.

"Uh…right…" She murmured after catching her breath, not certain what could be said to follow that up.

* * *

Once all the papers were filed properly away in their folders, Albedo slid them back into her inventory. The matters she'd actually came to discuss with Pandora's Actor overall only lasted about five minutes total. Were it not for everything in the middle, she'd have been long gone already. Still, one could most certainly not say it'd been a waste of time.

Pandora's Actor was saluting her like before, giving her what was in his mind the proper pose for a farewell. Still, she could tell from his quietness he had more to say.

"You may as well speak. We've gotten everything else out in the open." Albedo gave him permission.

He didn't hesitate after that. "No doubt you have already considered that, if my lord asks me the truth about this unit, I will not hold back in my answer." He pointed out to her, his hand still locked onto his forehead in salute.

At that statement, Albedo gave just a single short chuckle.

"Of course you will. And why would you do anything else?" She said to him with a smile, holding up her ring hand. "Until we kill a Supreme Being, what do we have to lie about?"

Albedo teleported away and Pandora's Actor was left in silence.

"_If it is my God's will…"_

He'd meant those words every time he said them and this time had been no exception.

But…

"_In order to serve my God, have I just agreed to ally myself with the Devil?"_ He couldn't help but wonder.


	4. Devotion

**Part 4: Devotion**

"As agreed, my lord." Albedo said as she withdrew the Sapphire Slime from her Item Box and presented it to her master.

"Ah, Miyoshi." Ainz said, his voice very pleased as the creature oozed between the many bones in his hand, already getting in deeper than mere soap and water could. "Thank you again for doing me this favor, Albedo."

"It was my pleasure." She bowed to him. "Though I must apologize for my trip taking longer than I expected."

"Think nothing of it." Ainz said, raising his other hand up from his chair's armrest to assure her it was no big deal. "Your return was still very timely and, had the Holy Kingdoms representatives shown up, your favor to me would have kept me from being an inconvenience to Demiurge's plan, which is far more important than me getting a slime bath. Though, if you don't mind me asking, what was the other errand you were running in Nazarick?"

Before she answered him, Albedo first looked and listened around the room, making certain that there were no nearby maids or the like whom would overhear her.

"I was meeting with Pandora's Actor regarding the search for the other Supreme Beings."

"Oh…!" Ainz uttered in surprise. He'd been puzzled why she'd been looking so secretive for a moment there but now he quite understood why.

Turning his head to the side, he rubbed his chin for a few seconds, staying completely silent. He stared off into nothing with such intensity, like he was trying to work himself up to something.

"…Has there been any news?" Ainz asked when he finally turned back to her, speaking more quietly than he probably meant to.

Albedo shook her head. "I'm sorry, my lord, but there has not." She told him. "While our net throughout Re-Estize, the Holy Kingdom, and the surrounding landscapes has caught plenty of rumors of creatures possibly matching their descriptions, every single one we've investigated has turned out to be false."

"…I see." Ainz said, Albedo feeling a tight pinch in her heart at hearing the disappointment in her beloved's voice.

"Please, forgive me, Lord Ainz. After so long, there should be more that I have than I do."

"There is nothing you need to apologize for, Albedo." Ainz told her. "You're still providing me with an invaluable service by checking out these false rumors. Even if they're not what we were hoping for, you're still insuring that such misinformation cannot be used against us, like that man from Foresight attempted to."

For a small second, Albedo thought she spotted a flare of intensity in Ainz's red eyes. If nothing else, she could feel relief in him still holding the same contempt for that man as she did. However, if it had been there, then it faded rather quickly, and took a little bit of his light with it.

"Besides…if I'm being honest…" Ainz spoke dejectedly, looking over at the crimson flag that was held in proud display on the wall of the office. "I have long held some doubt that my old friends were sent to this world along with us. I suppose that might be part of the reason I put off looking for them for so long. Perhaps I was worried about scouring the globe and finding nothing. Ignorance would at least give me the illusion that they could still be out there. Quite the poor quality in a leader, isn't it?"

"If I may speak frankly, my lord." Albedo instantly spoke up, not wanting him to say another word like what she'd just heard. "The entire tomb and everyone in it suddenly found themselves brought into a strange, unknown land for reasons we've still yet to find an explanation for. Every direction you've given us since then has been to keep Nazarick's defenses strong and our inventory replenishable. Prioritizing our ability to live and function in this new world over finding individuals whom may not even be here, however close you were, many would argue is the quality of a great leader."

"You…really believe that?" Ainz said, sounding almost like he felt unworthy of the sudden assurance.

Albedo nodded. "From the bottom of my heart." She said, her smile honest.

The next minute was filled with quiet, though Albedo didn't mind. Her face flushed with a bit of pink, encapsulated by the handsome, pondering look upon the skeleton's admittedly unmoving features, wanting to believe so badly her words had touched him.

"…Heh. Listen to me blather on." Ainz chuckled softly, surprising Albedo slightly as he stood up from his chair. She was of a decent height compared to the average woman, about 5′7″, but she still had to tilt her head back to see her beloved's face at such a close distance. "I suppose it's too easy for me to overlook I'm not the only one who misses them."

Albedo felt the sudden ripple through her body; Ainz's words stunning her for a moment. "What-…what do you mean?"

Ainz smiled, though it was a gesture only those whom had been around him for so long could pick up on. "I know you assured me of your ability to keep yourself under control. That you weren't at risk of dropping everything like the others might, and of course I believe you. But I'm certain you still have hopes of your own for finding Tabula."

"Wha-! L-Lord Ainz, I promise you, I-!"

"Albedo, it's fine." Ainz said, raising his hand up to ask that she settle herself. "You are more than allowed to have such feelings. I know for a fact he'd be proud of all you've done to keep Nazarick functioning since we've come to this world. And if Tabula is here too, I'm certain he'd have no greater relief than if it's you who finds him."

His words…they dug in deeper than he could have known. But Albedo did not allow her face to show it. "You humble me, my master." She said to him simply.

With that, Ainz gave a nod of his head in satisfaction. "Now then, since I have a few minutes, I shall be in the bath." He declared, holding up the forearm of which Miyoshi had already oozed underneath the sleeve to smother completely. "It shouldn't take very long but please inform me should the representatives arrive." He added quickly just before Albedo had been about to ask if she could join him, almost as if he'd predicted her question the instant her head perked up.

Disappointed, she bowed her head regardless. "Of course. Take as much time as you desire."

Nodding his head again to her in thanks, Ainz walked his way to the office's main door, leading himself out into the hallway that would take him to the manor's nearest bathroom.

The door closed behind him, leaving Albedo all alone in the room. He likely assumed she would show herself out once she gathered up any of the paperwork they'd left behind on his desk if she needed it.

That would have been the normal routine. However, right now, all Albedo did was stay standing where she was, eyes cast on that door like her master's ghost was still walking through it.

"_But if you love Lord Ainz, why are you seeking to lie to him?"_

Despite her façade, those words before had served to only add further fuel to her anger. However, right now…

"_You act as though it's easy."_ Her thoughts cast themselves out at Pandora's Actor back in the Treasury, as if he could hear them.

Finding herself unable yet to put a single foot in front of the other, Albedo opened her Item Box once more. Reaching inside its void, she pulled out a long red sheet of cloth, too thin to be a blanket despite being the right size for one.

It was a flag. With its coloring and gold trimmings, one might think it was the same flag right behind her back and on display all across the Sorcerer Kingdom; the flag of Ainz Ooal Gown. From a certain point of view, it was, so long as one were referring to the person himself. The who in that question would be obvious to anyone who saw its emblem; a Rorschach resembling a skull.

Wrapping herself in the cool fabric's embrace, Albedo let out a long, comforted breath as she rubbed its soft silk against her cheek. She remembered that moment back in the Mausoleum, when her beloved had used his own sleeve to help dry her eyes. Its touch reminded her so much of that.

"I don't understand…" She said softly, no one present in the room to possibly hear her. "I don't understand why you…why everyone…is so okay with letting them back in."

Ordinarily, this flag would be left hanging up on the wall in her room on the 9th floor, its large size having it act almost as a backdrop. However, on the long trips she'd been taking much more frequently outside of Nazarick these days, Albedo had started bringing it along with her to give her some much-needed peace of mind. It was very much like a security blanket in that regard, as immature as that may sound.

As for the flag of Ainz Ooal Gown that came with the room, it was currently still sitting in its corner, crumpled in a heap and gathering dust. If anyone else in Nazarick saw it, they'd probably demand she be punished for such a sin. If they knew what else she'd done to that flag, it'd be a guarantee they'd call for her execution.

It was on a pure impulse that Albedo's hand lashed out behind her, and it was only at the last possible second that she stopped herself, halting her swing just before her nails would have torn through the flag that hung on the office's wall. It was doubtful that that she even could destroy it so easily. Lord Ainz had cast [Greater Break Item] to cut up his own flag. The most she would likely have done was smash up the wall. Regardless, she couldn't just go destroying her master's property, regardless of how she felt about that damnable emblem staring at her.

While she could be mistaken, Albedo could only remember one time she'd completely lost herself to her urges, and while it was doubtful anyone in Nazarick would believe her, it was a situation she had regrets over. The words that'd set her off had not even been directed at her.

"_I would not give you up to even Bukubukuchagama herself."_

Lord Ainz had said those words to Mare, whom was that Supreme Being's creation. She'd just been in the room at the same time. Though, in her defense, Lord Ainz had also declared that she, the maid on duty Cixous, and all those of Nazarick were his treasures. Who could possibly hold themselves back after that?

That said…her following pounce and mounting of her master had resulted in her being locked up in her room for three days. Quite frankly, she wouldn't have been able to say that three years would have been unjustified.

She regretted her actions, certainly. Her reasons behind it though… Her only regret was that those words had been to someone else.

"I want you to say those words to me." Albedo's voice quietly begged out to Ainz, obviously unable to hear her from where he was elsewhere in the mansion. "That even if Lord Tabula were to ask…even if he were to demand me back…you wouldn't give me up to him."

* * *

_Tabula Smaragdina clicked away at the menu screen, taking his time as he scrolled through the many items Albedo held. Outside of the two of them, the 10__th__ floor's throne room was completely empty._

"_Right… I forgot I gave you that." He remarked with some interest as he spotted Ginnungagap among the list. "I thought the invasion by the fifteen hundred would have finally been our chance to pull out that trump card, but they were stopped at the 8__th__ floor. Victim and Rubedo certainly did put in some work there."_

_His long, webbed fingers hovered over the menu for a few minutes, pondering whether to withdraw the item._

"…_Ahh, but it fits with your lore so well! Besides, it's not like it's a consumable. Momonga and the others might be mad I took it without asking, sure, but he can always unequip it. Besides, if he's too stubborn to sell off regular items, I doubt his convictions will budge on a World Item, despite how much he knows people will pay for it."_

_Tabula closed the screen. He'd only taken from his creation a few items, and nothing that changed her outward appearance. Albedo stood before him still as could be, still in stand-by mode._

_His masked face, so very resembling the decaying corpse of a long dead squid, gave one final look over the NPC, before he turned his back to her, activating his Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown and teleporting away._

_That was the last time Albedo ever saw her creator._

* * *

Albedo held the flag in front of her body, opening it up so that she may look upon its crest.

"You who were the only one kind enough to stay with us when everyone else left. Who _ordered_ me to fall in love and filled my heart with such warmth whenever I think of you. Whenever I get to see your face. I felt the loss of my own creator less and less because I had you. You… You are the only one I will acknowledge as Nazarick's rightful ruler. The only one who deserves it."

She bundled up the flag and held it close to her chest, closing her eyes.

"Even if you hate me forever for it, if my actions secure your future in any small way, then I will have no regrets." She whispered her pledge to him, almost like a prayer. "Even if everyone else abandons you, I will stay by your side. This Albedo swears herself to you and you alone."

It was a future she imagined more and more these days. Herself fighting at the front while Lord Ainz cast spells from the rear. The fantasy went back and forth as to whether Rubedo and Pandora's Actor were there alongside them but who they were fighting always remained the same.

The forty others of the Supreme Beings, sending forth volleys of their magics and charging forth to slay the Overlord with their weapons. The only thing standing between him and them being Albedo, taking every blow. No matter how bloody or beaten her armor and body became, she did not fall. She did not falter. If she did, then her beloved would be attacked next. She had no choice but to keep fighting.

The rest of the Guardians were often on the battlefield, their words and pointed fingers condemning her for committing the ultimate betrayal, the blade of her bardiche still wet with blood. Nearly every time she imagined this future, Lord Tabula's head was always the one she took first, done while his back was turned to her, just assuming she'd obey him even after being gone for so long. After leaving without a single word of goodbye.

Even if it cost her life, her pride, or her very soul, she would stand as her beloved's shield.

"Lord Momonga…I will never let them hurt you again."

* * *

**Author's notes: **I kind of hesitated to write this story, simply because the whole "Albedo Hit Squad" is just a fan theory and it could be revealed she was being genuine all along, thus this story wouldn't work at all in the canon. Buuuuuut oh well. Whatever happens will happen and I still got to have fun imagining Pandora's Actor making all those poses (his voice for me always goes back and forth between the Japanese and English dubs depending on what he's saying).

Funny enough, out of everyone in _Overlord_, I do find myself shipping Ainz and Albedo together, though the irony in that is that a big reason for why I ship them is because Ainz doesn't want to take advantage of Albedo.

Very early on, vol. 2 of the light novels and a quarter into season 1, Ainz tells Albedo he altered her settings and that (along with him no longer having any libido that isn't quickly suppressed) is why he does not reciprocate her advances. He doesn't want to take advantage of her. He'd be further violating his friend Tabula's creation, whom Ainz views as basically Tabula's daughter, and he'd be taking advantage of someone whom possibly is not giving her true consent. He knows that she has no choice but to love him and as we see throughout the series Ainz feels very guilty about it and wants to take it back.

It's just such a weird thing that makes me ship Ainz and Albedo the most in Overlord. The fact that he doesn't want to basically rape her. I typically like a little romance in the series I read/watch because I'm a sap, so naturally I feel for a character like Albedo who has a crush on the main character and is very funny, cute, and lovable in how she expresses her feelings. But again, it might not be real love. But just the fact that Ainz himself acknowledges that, feels horrible about what he did, confessed to Albedo that he did it, and even when she told him it was fine and she didn't see what the problem was Ainz still didn't take advantage of her...I don't know why but it just really makes me like the idea of them as a couple and want Albedo's love to be real and not just programming. It feels like he respects her beyond just being a piece of sexy meat, if that makes any sense. Like he views her as a person first instead of...well...a computer program or an NPC.

All that said, as things are now, any romance between Ainz and Albedo is pretty much doomed to failure, simply because Albedo is incapable of seeing herself as Ainz's equal. She worships the guy. She sees herself as a servant first and at best the first wife in a harem. It wouldn't be an abusive relationship, but it most certainly wouldn't be a healthy one. That's the tragedy of Ainz's whole situation. Outside of an AU sidestory and a non-canon crossover anime, he has NO ONE he feels he can be himself around, and thus no one who can be honest with him. He's stuck playing a role and, as far as he can tell, the women like Albedo, Shalltear, and Evileye are in love with the role, not him.


End file.
